This invention relates generally to the field of handle accessories for containers and more specifically to a bucket handle retainer.
Five gallon plastic buckets are commonly used by painters, carpenters and other trades people for storing and moving various items. These buckets tend to be very similar in design regardless of manufacturer. They include a wire-form handle that allows the user to pick up the bucket and carry it from on area to another.
It would be helpful if the user had the option to have the handle remain in a relatively upright position during use so that each time he or she wanted to lift the bucket, he or she would not have to bend down and reach the folded down handle and rotate it up to the use position before lifting the bucket. U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,433 by G Curtis, now in the public domain, tries to address this problem by proposing a special hand grip that attaches to the wire-form handle that includes a perpendicular post terminating in a J shaped hook that can engage the lip of a paint can—thereby keeping the handle in a relatively upright position.
Although the Curtis design may be helpful in relation to picking up paint cans, it has several deficiencies. First, the paint can needs to come equipped with the special handle, it is not designed as something that can be added to an existing paint can with a wire form handle. Second, the J hook design would not work well on the lip of a standard five gallon bucket lip.